Project: Death for Classroom Zero

Chapter 48: Red and White Player

“Do you guys think this would be quite harder than the first ciphertexting activity we’ve had?” while walking inside a tunnel, Seven Lanford asked. After they passed through the huge gate that was guarded by Professor Buenavista, the group had just found themselves walking inside a long, dark tunnel.

At first, Tristan thought that this tunnel would be the same tunnel that he had observed at the back of the Zero building. However, he wasn’t sure that it was the same thing that he had seen yesterday. Trusting his gut and intuition, he believed that this tunnel and the mysterious tunnel that was attached at the back of the building were different.

“We’re not sure. But since this is the second day of the quiz, I am expecting that this would be quite harder than the first one,” Blaze answered.

“We can’t actually tell if this was a hard quiz or not, unless we see it right in front of our face,” Rain also said.

Sooner as they continued walking, a source of light has erupted at their far front. Seeing the light, they were now sure that the seemingly endless, enclosed esplanade that they were travelling, was about to reach its end.

“Brace yourselves guys. Oh my gosh, this is another hellish activity, I am pretty sure!” Amara’s tone as she spoke, cannot seem to fit the message she was giving. She has a high, cheerful energy but the frightened message she was telling is opposite of the way she has delivered it.

Now, the light at the end of the tunnel becomes bigger as they little by little, walked near. What welcomed them at the end path was a vast space of the sky.

Yes, the bluish, peaceful sky has grandiosely welcomed them—at first look, it could be like that. But sooner, they discovered that the bluish color of the sky, with figures of fluffy cumulus clouds is just a reflection of produced images by the wall, and at the same time, huge screens.

With the need to admit, Tristan was fascinated when he first saw the place. They were inside an enclosed four cornered room. Every faces of the wall was made of a gigantic screen. This screens generates images that would make them look like they were floating in the middle of the sky. The floor was made in a different way: it was as if made of ancient, tribal design because it was made to look like an old, worn floor that is made of clay. Also, this floor has a peculiar, perfectly dividing lines that was spread throughout the surface, making it look like a chess board. An ancient one. It was a five by five dividing section. Every section of ranks and files on the board has strange pairs of numbers encrypted on it.

With the orientation of the screen walls, it made the ancient floor looking like it was floating.

“Now what kind of trick was this?” Timmy asked.

“I—I have a bad feeling about this. I th-think the setup o—of the place was made to d—deceive us,” Tammy then added.

“What do you mean, Tammy girl?” Amara asked.

“W—well, the place was beautiful and scenic. I—I admit. But … knowing that it—it was made under the Zero program, wasn’t it we should expect that it was n—not just a beautiful scene? But … a … terrifying one?”

“Tammy has got a point,” said Blaze. “As long as we’re trapped here inside Zero program, this kind of beautiful set-up should not be trusted. There’s something wrong in here.”

Hearing Tammy and Blaze’s intuition, Tristan nodded in agreement. He agreed that this place is up to nothing but terrifying trouble.

Now they confirmed it when there was something that has popped in the screen. A set of letters. Written in white, cloud-textured font, this set of letters could be read: “Welcome, students.”

The moment that they read it, the group fell into funereal silence.

The letters dissipated after a second, and then placed with another set: “Remember: the rank below the queen was killed.”

“The rank below the queen was killed? What was that?” Timmy asked, confused. On her face, the pale, appall expression could be seen.

“Each of you should choose a slot in the cipherboard,” the letters on the screen reads.

Even though they were hesitating, each of them has decided to choose a specific section around the five-by-five chessboard-like floor. Tristan stood at the section of the floor wherein the numbers encrypted to it was 1,3. He has no idea what was the numbers about, but he has a strong belief that he will soon knew it, the moment that this ciphering activity proceeds.

Having standing on the section that each of them has chosen, the letters on the screen started to change again.

It reads: “Randomly selecting …”

Now, a white, bright light appeared on the floor. As if they were on a roulette game, the white light are quickly moving and travelling towards each section found on the floor.

Everyone was confused and terrified of what was happening. Yet, they could not help themselves but to stand on their chosen section with traumatic sensation of frigid fear.

There was a chill that has ran down on Tristan’s spine when out of spur, the white light has stopped just exactly below his feet. He felt the cold tears running from his temples, then to his cheeks.

Seeing the light, he asked; “Wh—What does this thing mean?”

To end the confused agony of Tristan, the letters on the screen changed once again.

This time, it reads: “You are the white player of this game.”

“I am?” Tristan asked, confused and shocked. There was a lot of question that keeps on spamming inside his head.

The letters on the screen changed once again: “The white player of the game will be immune to the red light killer, but he is about to play a huge role in order for one of your teammates not to be killed: you are the only one who will decipher the coded message.”

“So that means you Tristan will be the one who will crack the code, and find the message. That’s great because at least, you’re freakin’ good at it,” said Timmy, relieved.

“But that means one of you might die if I fail to crack the message,” he protested.

“You have no choice but to solve it for us, Tristan. After all, we were putting a lot of trust in you,” Rain said, trying to boost his morale.

“But … bullshit!” Tristan, knowing what will happen if he fails the quiz, started to feel panicky. He inhaled then breathed out his frustration, then tried to calm his self down. “Fine, I will do my best,” he said.

“Now for the red light player,” the letters on the screen once again reads.

The white light below has remained at Tristan’s feet, but another light has appeared travelling to the entire sections of the floor. The light was in red color.

Having the light stopped at the section where numbers 4,5 were stenciled, everyone gasped when they found out that it was the section which Seven Lanford has chosen.

“s**t, it is,” Seven said.

Just after the red light appeared below his feet, each of them gasped in terror once again, when that light creeped and enveloped the whole body of Seven.

“H—Hey, what is happening?” Seven confusedly asked as he looked at his red-glowing body. He doesn’t feel anything, but he knows it could bring something grave to him.

The letters on the screen changed once again: “The moment that the game starts, the red light could be transferred to other non-safe teammate. The red light would not disappear until the time runs out, or if the white player deciphered the message.”

“I don’t concretely get it,” Tristan whispered.

When the letters on the screen started to change once again, Tristan’s eyes bulged in despairing shock and confusion.

“The game starts now,” it reads.

Below the announcement, a timer has also appeared: 30 minutes. Also below it, the first reminder they have seen earlier was also written: “Remember: the rank below the queen was killed.”

When the timer on the screen started to drop, that was also the time when Seven—the red light player—has loudly screamed. It was in despair and unbearable pain. It echoed towards the whole four-cornered room.